This invention relates to the field of hand tools for dentists and others in the health care profession which are used to perform dental and other health care procedures, such as those used to polish, clean and brush teeth. In particular, this invention relates to those which are disposable after a single use.
People who work in the health care fields such as dentists, doctors, nurses, technicians and the like have become increasingly concerned about the growing risks to their patients as well as to themselves from treating someone who may have a communicable disease and which may be transmitted to others. To minimize the risk, various proposals have been made to use protective coverings to reduce the possibility of contaminated blood, viruses, bacteria and other transmission agents from reaching the doctor's or dentist's hands, as well as from reaching instruments and tools he may be using so they can be used again. The protective coverings such as gloves, shields and the like are made of disposable materials and thrown away after a single use. However, the tool itself, such as a dentist's hand piece or air syringe which have been made for re-use, relatively long duration, and are accordingly expensive, have not been heretofore thrown away after a single use. Even if they are protected by some sort of a protective covering which is itself thrown aray, the possibility still exists that the tool has become contaminated since parts are necessary in direct contact with patients. If the tools are to be re-used on other patients, they have to be cleaned and sterilized which means that the dentist, doctor or an assistant may very easily suffer a scratch while performing the cleaning operation by which disease carrying blood, viruses, bacteria and the like on the tool could enter the blood stream of the one handling the tool.
The present invention solves this problem and maximizes protection against transmission of disease by disposing of the entire tool after use on a single patient, and by making such tools of materials which are inexpensive enough to make such disposal feasible and by providing operating structures which are durable enough for use with single patient but less expensive than those needed for long operating life and a large number of re-uses.